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SB 17 - Open Carry Permit bill - Off Calendar

California Right To Carry

Regular Member
Joined
Dec 21, 2013
Messages
462
Location
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My understanding of the Texas legislative process is that a legislator must normally place a bill on the "intent calendar" for it to be voted on and must do so every day.

SB 17 was placed on the intent calendar for 2/23/2015. SB 17 was not placed on the intent calendar for tomorrow. Anyone familiar with the legislative process who can shed some light on whether or not this is normal for a bill that eventually passes?
 

Count

Founder's Club Member
Joined
Mar 8, 2007
Messages
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Official answer

Intent calendar. Senate rules require that bills and resolutions be listed on the regular order
of business and be considered on second reading in the order in which committee reports
on the measures are submitted to the senate. During a regular session, the senate adopts a
further rule specifying that before a bill or joint resolution may be brought up for floor debate
out of its regular order, notice of intent must be filed with the secretary of the senate by 3
p.m. on the last preceding calendar day the senate was in session. A senator may give notice
on no more than three bills or resolutions before April 15 and on no more than five bills or
resolutions on or after April 15. Senate rules direct the secretary of the senate to prepare a
list of all legislation for which notice has been given. The list, called the Intent Calendar, must
be made available to each senator and to the press not later than 6:30 p.m. on the day the
notice is filed. No bill or resolution may be considered on its first day on the Intent Calendar
before the 130th calendar day of the regular session, and a vote of two-thirds of the senators
present is required before any of the measures listed on the Intent Calendar may be debated.
The senate rules do not require measures to be brought up for consideration in the order listed
on the Intent Calendar, and the senate routinely considers only a portion of those measures
listed on the Intent Calendar for a given day. A senator must give notice from day to day for
a measure that was not brought up for consideration to remain on the Intent Calendar. Any
provision of the senate rule governing the Intent Calendar may be suspended by a vote of four fifths
of the members present.
 

California Right To Carry

Regular Member
Joined
Dec 21, 2013
Messages
462
Location
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Random line breaks in the middle of sentences. They answer everything.

I'll try again "Anyone familiar with the legislative process who can shed some light on whether or not this is normal for a bill that eventually passes?"

We don't have an "intent calendar" in California. Once A bill passes out of committee the bill is either on the floor for some kind of a vote or it is held at the desk. When a bill is held at the desk it is usually an indication that there aren't enough votes to pass the bill at that time or the powers that be have decided that there are more important bills they want to be voted on first.

Being "held at the desk" isn't normal for a bill that eventually passes in California. Is there anyone here knowledgeable about the Texas legislative process who can answer the question I originally posed?
 

Ian

Lone Star Veteran
Joined
Nov 11, 2007
Messages
710
Location
Austin, TX
There are a few things to keep in mind here at this stage.

First things first, if you have watched any of the live feeds from the Texas Senate, you will see that they are in no hurry to do anything. Their first day in session, they met for a half hour before adjourning. Second day, met for a half hour, adjourned till noon, went another half hour, then unanimously agrees on a 5 day weekend. I wish I was joking. Not only have they barely spent time in the chambers, but they've been doing BS stuff like welcoming various groups and recognizing them.

Another thing we should keep in mind is that while a whole bunch of other bills are just now going to committee after being announced in the Senate chamber, open carry went to committee and soared through before the Senate even convened for the legislative session. I think that alone speaks volumes for the support behind this bill.

Legislature moves at a snail's pace. A bill requires three readings before it can be voted on and passed through a chamber. Unless I'm mistaken, it has already had a second reading at this point.
 

Glockster

Regular Member
Joined
Dec 24, 2010
Messages
786
Location
Houston
I still have no clue though about whether or not what the OP asked is or should be a concern. The bill status (http://www.legis.state.tx.us/BillLookup/BillStages.aspx?LegSess=84R&Bill=SB17) shows that it has passed stage 2....however, as OP pointed out, it also lists as the current status:
"Last Action: 02/24/2015 S Not again placed on intent calendar"

And I see that another important bill, SB11, has the same status as to stage and not on intent calendar.

Having said that, I also haven't been able to get a simple answer as to whether or not that is business as usual for bills, or if this indicates a concern. Is this "normal" for bill progress for those bills that do make it through?
 

Rogue Warrior

Regular Member
Joined
May 23, 2010
Messages
39
Location
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Sb-17

My understanding is that a bill must be on the intent calendar for two days to be "eligible". It may not be voted upon until the 60th day of the legislative session. Thereafter, a 3/5ths majority (reduced from the prior 2/3rds Senate rule) to be brought to the floor of the Senate. (The Texas Senate consists of 31 Senators, 20 of whom are are Republicans.) You will notice that there are 19 Senators who are either co-authors or sponsors of SBs 11 (campus carry) and 17 (licensed open carry). That should assure these bills of reaching the Senate floor and, presumably, passage. Then it will be off to the house. Both bills are shown in the same status.

SB 342 (unlicensed carry, either open or concealed, or so called "constitutional carry") has not been set for hearing in committee. Open Carry Texas is working the bill, but it is not a given that the bill will be heard. As you may be aware, there has been unfortunate publicity from a very small group of people not affiliated with Open Carry Texas which have complicated the situation.
 

California Right To Carry

Regular Member
Joined
Dec 21, 2013
Messages
462
Location
United States
As you may be aware, there has been unfortunate publicity from a very small group of people not affiliated with Open Carry Texas which have complicated the situation.

Yes, we had a handful of those people here in California from CalGuns.nuts and the official NRA state organization (CRPA) as well who wanted to get Unloaded Open Carry banned in California and passed up no opportunity to place Open Carry in a bad light.

The Black Panthers can be excused for their protest in the State Capitol building back in 1967, passage of the ban on Loaded Open Carry was pretty much assured by then.
 

Jeff. State

Banned
Joined
Aug 29, 2012
Messages
650
Location
usa
How many Texans are going to get in line TO ASK PERMISSION from the State to OC???

:uhoh::uhoh::uhoh:
 

Wstar425

Regular Member
Joined
Jul 1, 2014
Messages
570
Location
Tomahawk and Abbotsford, Wi.
Anyone who can understand this, you would have to question their sanity? Makes my head spin. I know nothing about any of this, but something like this seems to make the process way way way x1000 too complicated.

Intent calendar. Senate rules require that bills and resolutions be listed on the regular order
of business and be considered on second reading in the order in which committee reports
on the measures are submitted to the senate. During a regular session, the senate adopts a
further rule specifying that before a bill or joint resolution may be brought up for floor debate
out of its regular order, notice of intent must be filed with the secretary of the senate by 3
p.m. on the last preceding calendar day the senate was in session. A senator may give notice
on no more than three bills or resolutions before April 15 and on no more than five bills or
resolutions on or after April 15. Senate rules direct the secretary of the senate to prepare a
list of all legislation for which notice has been given. The list, called the Intent Calendar, must
be made available to each senator and to the press not later than 6:30 p.m. on the day the
notice is filed. No bill or resolution may be considered on its first day on the Intent Calendar
before the 130th calendar day of the regular session, and a vote of two-thirds of the senators
present is required before any of the measures listed on the Intent Calendar may be debated.
The senate rules do not require measures to be brought up for consideration in the order listed
on the Intent Calendar, and the senate routinely considers only a portion of those measures
listed on the Intent Calendar for a given day. A senator must give notice from day to day for
a measure that was not brought up for consideration to remain on the Intent Calendar. Any
provision of the senate rule governing the Intent Calendar may be suspended by a vote of four fifths
of the members present.
 

Rogue Warrior

Regular Member
Joined
May 23, 2010
Messages
39
Location
, ,
http://www.capitol.state.tx.us/tlodocs/84R/calendars/html/S520150225.htm

Third is a charm..... All is looking good! Also, the identical companion HB910, which has an astounding 69 authors and co-authors was referred to the Homeland Security and Public Safety committee in the House!

As far as understanding the rules! You're not supposed to.....

The number of co-authors and sponsors basically demonstrates members who intend to vote for the bill on the floor which sometimes can help move it through the committee process. An essentially identical bill died in committee without being brought to a vote in the last several sessions (every two years) of the Texas Legislature.

OpenCarryTexas.org supports initiatives which allow the citizens of Texas to exercise more rights than present law even though our primary focus is on passage of a "Constitutional Carry" bill, that is a bill which provides for unlicensed carry of modern handguns either openly or concealed. The organization is working to obtain a hearing for Senate Bill 342 and its companion bill, House Bill 195.

At the present time, Texas is one of six remaining states which have no provision for any form of open carry of modern handguns. For those not familiar with the numbers, there are 31 states which allow unlicensed open carry and 13 which allow licensed open carry. There are several states in the process of considering legislation to allow unlicensed carry of modern handguns either openly or concealed.

Texas has had prohibitions against the carry of modern handguns since the post-civil war reconstruction era. No living Texan has ever experienced the open carry of handguns within the state. The history of these prohibitions indicates that their origin was racially motivated to keep the recent freedmen and other minorities from exercising the right of armed self-defense. In time, laws that were intended to be discriminatorily enforced came to be enforced against everyone.
 

Glockster

Regular Member
Joined
Dec 24, 2010
Messages
786
Location
Houston
http://www.capitol.state.tx.us/tlodocs/84R/calendars/html/S520150225.htm

Third is a charm..... All is looking good! Also, the identical companion HB910, which has an astounding 69 authors and co-authors was referred to the Homeland Security and Public Safety committee in the House!

As far as understanding the rules! You're not supposed to.....

Nor apparently the statuses, because it's a coin toss as to whether the Last Status is current, and in this case the calendars page (from the above link) has the link to the status page, which still shows Not again placed on intent calendar and dated 2/24/15. :banghead:

Thanks for the calendar links as that seems to be yet another must follow page.
 

Jeff. State

Banned
Joined
Aug 29, 2012
Messages
650
Location
usa
How much will the Permission slip cost?

How much will any required training cost?

How much will required holster cost?


Infringement, Infringement, Infringement
 

Rogue Warrior

Regular Member
Joined
May 23, 2010
Messages
39
Location
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How much will the Permission slip cost?

How much will any required training cost?

How much will required holster cost?


Infringement, Infringement, Infringement

SB 17 essentially changes the existing concealed handgun license into a handgun license. The fees, training hours and such will not be changed by this bill. No one is required to openly carry under this license. It is an option that the license holder may exercise as the circumstances suggest. Many, if not most, people will continue to carry concealed as they have been doing much of the time.
 
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